Hi, I wanted to chime in with an update on the current Brandeis dining situation. This year (second year of the contract), Harvest Table/Brandeis required everyone living in Brandeis non-apartment housing to purchase essentially a 19-meal a week plan with very few points, and you can only do meal exchanges (i.e., a meal somewhere other than the main all-you-can-eat dining halls) for 5 meals a week (or 10 if you pay more). First years must live in on-campus housing (non-apartments) and students cannot be exempted from purchasing a meal plan due to dietary restrictions (e.g., celiac). Parents of students with food allergies/celiac say that things are worse for their students under the new provider in terms of mislabeling, cross-contamination, and lack of suitable variety. All that aside, my son absolutely loves the dining hall food (it is worth noting I am a terrible cook), but reactions to the food in general are really a mixed bag.
But you don’t go to college for the food, and Brandeis has outstanding professors who care about undergrads and a population of kind and academically-motivated students. It is an absolutely ideal place for certain types of kids, and my student has totally thrived.